Band: Troubled Coast
Release: Letters
Genre: Post-Hardcore/Pop Punk
Members: Cory, Mile, Tahm, Brandon, Randy
Label: Creator-Destructor Records
Download "Vagabonds EP" Free Here: http://troubledcoast.bandcamp.com/album/vagabonds-ep
Tracklist:
1. Amends
2. Wolf Republic
3. Breathing
4. Night Drives
5. It's Not Good For You
6. Drug Halo
7. Feigned Belief
8. XX/XY
9. Absent Father, Holy Ghost
10. Me And My Shadow
11. A Shallow Place
12. Love
Review: 9.2/10
Standout Tracks: Breathing, XX/XY, Absent Father, Holy Ghost
To describe this album in one sentence, it would be "sounds like a college grade poetry coupled with awesome, atmospheric music that stands behind the sometimes spoken, sometimes screamed vocals with bits of pop punk thrown in to mix it up." But this is a review, so I can't get away with just one sentence. Back in 2005, I ripped mewithoutyou's album "[A->B] Life" from my local library and loved it immediately. "Letters" brings me back to my junior year in high school and took me back in time. Sometimes, bands over-structure their music and strive to perfect it, and every once in a while you need a raw, poetic album to turn on, play from start to finish, and just get lost in the music. A lot of bands lose their roots and I think Troubled Coast can set others who listen to them on the right track.
"Amends" is a good intro to the album while giving listeners a sneak peek as what to expect. "Breathing" wouldn't be too out of place in a Thursday album by giving soft, spoken lyrics and screaming lyrics over powerful guitars and body moving drums, then throw in some post-rock noise in for good measure. "Night Drives" reminds me of Underoath's "The Impact Of Reason" in some sort of sense. Not too sure if anyone else will get that same sort of vibe but thats what I thought. "Drug Halo" is an interlude of sorts while giving some pop punk influence into this mostly post-hardcore album, then it's over a little too fast. "Feigned Belief" gives some more of that much needed pop punk feel with the standout bass and some lyrics for the fans to scream to at the end. "XX/XY" is my favorite song by far. It has some of the best lyrics I've heard in a very long time. I won't give them away here you will just have to listen to the track yourself. "Absent Father, Holy Ghost" is the song you can't predict how it will end. You start off thinking it's going to be a atmospheric song with huge soundscape, before going off into fast, punk driven mosh pit only to begin where it leaves off at 1:16. "Me And My Shadow" heads back into the lose yourself into the music mode that you can only experience if you tune out all other noises around you and let go of all worries. Only then can you begin to examine and experience what this band succeeds in. "Love" wraps up the album with a straight ahead no holds barred energy filled song, with its screams and pummeling drums to snap you out of whatever vibe you're in.
As stated, this is an album to get lost to, so it was a little difficult to pick the stand out tracks. All of the songs blend into each other quite nicely. Depending on your musical taste it can be either a good or a bad thing. Kudos to the band and a big time kudos to whoever did the mixing on this album. This is a must have for anyone's collection. For any major label representatives reading this, SIGN THESE GENTS NOW!!!
For Fans Of: mewithoutyou, Skys Of Fire, early Thrice
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